


Footprints in the Sand

by feralratdad



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Emotional Trauma, Fuyuhiko needs a friend, Gay Panic, Grief, Hajime is the suffering wingman, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pining, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Walks On The Beach, just two bros vibing, the killing game is NOT being kind to my boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:28:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22117915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feralratdad/pseuds/feralratdad
Summary: A heavy silence descended over the two of them. 'I should just go back to my cottage,' he thought. 'Why am I even doing this?' Fuyuhiko was a punk ass bitch, and Kazuichi should just leave him be. It was common sense not to go poking at snakes.But poke he did anyways.--Kazuichi heads out on a nighttime walk and ends up helping (and befriending) a grieving Fuyuhiko. Throughout their various reoccurring beach walks, they end up finding solace in each other, and maybe something more.
Relationships: Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Soda Kazuichi
Comments: 36
Kudos: 259





	Footprints in the Sand

**Author's Note:**

> here *clap* we *clap* go *clap, another 3am fic. kuzusoda is my favorite rare pair and they deserve more content so by god I will create it for them!
> 
> also,,,, I am just babey and I hate writing "f*ck" but I couldn't stop Fuyuhiko from swearing because that's just who he is and who am I to tell him no?

Someone was crying.

Kazuichi Souda had found that sleep escaped him that night. Too many things had happened, and death was a suffocating weight on his chest. Walking always made him feel better, and it took up energy that would otherwise be put to waste thinking about this dismal situation, so he'd headed over to Jabberwock Park to do some laps until he was too tired to do anything but pass out.

That was when he'd heard the crying. Naturally, he'd hurried over to investigate, and the last thing he expected to find was that mafia twink Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu sitting on a bench, shoulders shaking.

"What are you doing here?" Kazuichi exclaimed, instinctively taking a step back. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital?!"

Fuyuhiko immediately straightened, turning his head to face him. "J-just getting some air! What're _you_ doing here?"

"Same thing!"

The ultimate Yakuza studied him, and that was when Kazuichi noticed the tears glistening in his intact eye, illuminated by the moonlight above. "Tch," he finally said, turning back away and scrubbing at them. "Whatever."

A dilemma appeared before Kazuichi, two branching paths. The path of least resistance was obviously to leave shortass to his sob-fest, and it was the path he would've normally chosen.

_Normally_ being the key word.

With a heavy sigh, Kazuichi took a seat down beside him on the bench, tilting his head upward to stare at the twinkling stars above. Despite the open expanse of sky, he still felt terribly trapped, like the walls of this island were slowly crushing him. He wondered if Fuyuhiko felt the same way.

"H-hey!" Fuyuhiko exclaimed, pulling Kazuichi from his wandering thoughts. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here, duh," Kazuichi snorted. "I mean, I can't just leave you all alone here. Someone could come up and kill ya real easy."

"Nobody's going to kill me," Fuyuhiko huffed.

"I dunno, man, Hiyoko's got some serious murder in her eyes."

Fuyohiko made another "tch" sound, then looked away. "Whatever. Stay here if you want, I don't care."

A heavy silence descended over the two of them. Kazuichi was quickly growing bored of stargazing, so he looked out across the park. That weird ass timer was still there, ticking down to god knows what, and he felt an itch to try disassembling it. _I should just go back to my cottage,_ he thought. _Why am I even doing this?_ Fuyuhiko was a punk ass bitch, and Kazuichi should just leave him be. It was common sense not to go poking at snakes.

But poke he did anyways. "So... you gonna tell me why you snuck out of the hospital?"

Fuyuhiko's eyebrows furrowed together, and he scrunched up his nose. "I'm not legally bound to that place, you know."

"Yeah, but like, you almost died," Kazuichi pointed out. "I feel like it's better for you to stay put."

"Couldn't sleep," he replied quietly. "Smelled like death."

For a brief moment, Peko's execution flashed across Kazuichi's mind. He shuddered despite himself, and did his best to pretend it was just the chilly night air.

"This fucking sucks," he finally said.

Fuyuhiko let out a dry, raw laugh. "That's the understatement of the century." He stared long and hard at the ground, still as a statue. "Peko... she's dead. She really is, isn't she?"

"Uh... I think so."

"You're really terrible at this whole comfort thing," Fuyuhiko scowled.

"Do you want me to rub your back or something? Give you a hug?!"

"No!"

Kazuichi sighed and drew his feet up onto the bench, hugging his legs against his chest. "Peko... died for you, right?" Hoping he sounded somewhat inspirational, he continued. "I guess all you can really do is keep living for her. You can't get stuck on the what if's and shit. You just gotta keep moving forward."

"Live," Fuyuhiko echoed softly. "I... I guess that doesn't sound too bad."

"There ya go," Kazuichi gave him what he hoped was a comforting grin and not something terribly out of place in a world of grief. "As long as you never forget her, she'll always be there with you."

A ghost of a smile crossed Fuyuhiko's face. "Thank you, Kazuichi," he murmured. "I think I needed to hear that."

Staring at him now, the boy shrouded by grief and moonlight, Kazuichi couldn't help but feel glad he decided to stay after all. Abruptly, he got to his feet, and Fuyuhiko glanced up in surprise.

"Come on," Kazuichi said, holding out a hand toward him. "Let's go for a walk or something."

"W-what?"

"Keep your body moving, keep your mind moving, ya know?" He wiggled his fingers. "Unless you wanna go back to the hospital. I'm not leaving you alone out here, but I'm getting kinda tired of sitting."

"I don't want to go back," Fuyuhiko said quickly. He stood, wincing a bit, and Kazuichi dropped his hand. 

"Right, let's go to the beach on the first island then," Kazuichi decided, already starting off. "The ocean's super pretty at night."

Fuyuhiko hurried to keep up with him. "You go on night walks a lot or something?"

"Or something." Kazuichi didn't want to admit he'd been kept awake most nights on this god forsaken island by fear and paranoia. Remembering Fuyuhiko was half dead, he slowed his pace to a more comfortable one as to not overexert him. Fuyuhiko didn't thank him, but he gave him a curt nod.

They eventually reached the beach, and Kazuichi kicked off his boots. He wasn't too worried about someone stealing them since that was absurd for a number of reasons. He dug his bare toes into the soft sand beneath, cool to the touch. "Come on!" he called to Fuyuhiko, who was just staring at him. "Get the whole beach experience!"

Obviously reluctant, Fuyuhiko pulled off his shoes and neatly set them beside Kazuichi's.

Now free from the physical confinements of shoes, Kazuichi started off across the beach, heading to where the ocean waves gently lapped at the shore. Fuyuhiko was right behind him, gingerly making his way across the sand. The water glittered under the moonlight, a starlit sky in itself. Kazuichi waded in ankle deep, closing his eyes and letting the waves wash away the horrors of the past few days.

"Hey, Kazuichi," Fuyuhiko's voice broke through his trance. He opened his eyes to see shortass hesitating at the shoreline, toes curled in the sand. He'd taken his suit jacket off, Kazuichi realized, leaving only the white undershirt and his dress pants. If it wasn't for the eyepatch across his face, he'd look more like a teenage boy than a mafia heir.

"Yeah, wassup?" he asked, forcing his attention away from his looks and back to his words.

"I..." he started awkwardly. "Thanks. I guess."

"Heh?"

"For this. Walking with me." He folded his arms, but didn't avert his gaze. "I just wanted to let you know I... appreciate it."

"Gratitude?! Who're you and what've you done with Fuyuhiko?" Kazuichi exclaimed.

Fuyuhiko's face went red. "Sh-shut up, you bastard, I'm tryin'a do something nice. Peko... gave me another chance. I wanna do good with it."

Seeing the serious look in his eye, Kazuichi dropped his joking manner. "Aw, man, it's really no problem. I mean, I don't have anything better to do."

Fuyuhiko gave him a small smile. He was almost pretty, Kazuichi thought, when he wasn't glaring at you.

They walked down the length of the beach together in silence, the only sounds being the gentle waves and the crunching of sand beneath their bare feet. It was peaceful and serene, despite the awful circumstances around them, and Kazuichi almost felt content for the first time in a while. When at last Fuyuhiko's breathing grew labored, Kazuichi turned around and led him back to where they'd left their shoes.

Fuyuhiko shrugged his jacket back on and kneeled down to tie his shoelaces. Kazuichi shoved his feet back into his boots and stretched, releasing a loud yawn.

"Man, I'm pooped," he announced to no one in particular. "Can't believe you kept me up this late."

Fuyuhiko scowled up at him. "You chose this, you know."

"Ah, yeah, you're right," Kazuichi grinned widely. "Hey, does this mean we're friends now?"

"Don't push your luck," Fuyuhiko's scowl deepened, and his face reddened. "If you're so tired, go back to your cottage. I can walk back to the hospital myself."

"That's a surefire way to get murdered. C'mom, it's only another fifteen minutes out!"

By the time they reached the hospital, Kazuichi's feet were sore and his eyelids were drooping. He waited as Fuyuhiko changed into his hospital gown, then walked him to his room. The halls were dark and eery, but Kazuichi didn't feel frightened by it. His life was already a horror movie, what could a creepy old hospital do to him?

"Well," he said, stopping in the doorway as Fuyuhiko climbed back into bed. "Thanks for the walk, shortass."

"Don't fucking call me that," Fuyuhiko shot him a death glare, and suddenly Kazuichi feared for his life.

"Whatever you say, shortcake!" He said, retreating from the room before Fuyuhiko could stand up and murder him.

As soon as he made it back to his cottage, he collapsed down onto his bed and passed out almost instantly.

——

Fuyuhiko didn't mention their nighttime walk the next morning at breakfast, and Kazuichi almost wondered if it had all been a dream.

At least until that night when he shot awake at 1am, heart pounding uncontrollably and fear making his body shudder. Panic drove him out of bed, and he hurriedly put his shoes on and headed outside. The crisp night air calmed him down a bit, and he leaned against his cottage fence, trying to get a grip on himself.

"Shit," he whispered. This stupid killing game was absolutely rattling his nerves.

Common sense told him to return to the safety of his cabin, but he felt too confined inside there. Instead, he started walking in the direction of the hotel building, deciding to find a glass of water to help settle his nerves.

And lo and behold, who else happened to be sitting by the pool edge than Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, staring out into the water with a blank expression.

"Hey, shortcake," he said, and Fuyuhiko glanced up blearily.

"Kazuichi?" he asked in disbelief.

"We keep meeting." Kazuichi folded his arms with a dry grin. "What're you doing up this time?"

"Every time I close my eyes, I see her dying," Fuyuhiko replied blandly. "So I decided not to close my eyes."

Kazuichi swallowed the lump in his throat. "Well... can't say I blame you."

"What about you? Just getting some fresh air again?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Sure." Watching him there, huddled at the edge of the pool looking lost and alone, Kazuichi knew he couldn't just leave him there. "So, since I'm already up, wanna go for another walk?"

He expected Fuyuhiko to turn him down, but to his surprise, he said, "Sure. How about the private beach on the second island?"

"Oh sweet, they've got energy drinks in the beach house fridge, right? I need me one of those!"

"I swear to god-"

And so that was how their routine of nightly walks started. Even though it was never planned or outright stated it was a routine, every night the two boys would find each other, sleepless and restless, and head off on a walk down one of the beaches. They didn't really talk much at first, but as the nights wore on, Fuyuhiko became a bit more chatty. He talked about Peko mostly, but sometimes a bit about his own life. Kazuichi, in turn, info dumped about his big mechanic projects, which the ultimate Yakuza listened to with a surprising amount of interest.

"You're not so bad, Kazuichi Souda," he said one night.

"Wow, a genuine compliment!" Kazuichi's eyes lit up. "I'm honored!"

"Shut up," Fuyuhiko scowled. "Don't patronize me."

"Whatever you want, shortcake."

"Anyways," Fuyuhiko shoved his hands into the pockets of his striped suit pants. "If you still wanna be friends... I guess I wouldn't mind that so much."

"No way, for real?" Kazuichi's jaw dropped.

"I said don't patronize me!" Fuyuhiko shrieked, shoving him to the side. Kazuichi stumbled away from him across the sand, laughing.

"I'll have you know I already considered you my friend anyways," Kazuichi folded his arms. "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't go on these walks with you."

"Hmph. I'll allow it." Fuyuhiko's stony gaze abruptly melted into something forlorn. "I don't think I've ever had a real friend before."

"Huh?! You're joking!"

"Everyone was only friends with me because they had to be." He kicked at the sand with one of his feet. "Or they just saw me as their boss. I never had anyone who treated me like an actual friend. Even Peko..." his voice broke slightly on the name, but he hurried on. "She was like a sister to me, but to her, I was only ever her young master."

"Damn," Kazuichi said. "That's harsh."

"So no, I don't think I've ever had a real friend." Fuyuhiko's shoulders slumped.

"Well, I've never had much luck with friendships myself," Kazuichi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I've got some... trust issues."

"Oh?"

"I have a hard time believing in people. So yeah, I've never been much of a friendship guy."

"You? You, Kazuichi Souda, aren't a friendship guy?"

"Hey! This is what I get for opening up to you? Doubt and skepticism?"

Fuyuhiko held up his hands in defense. "Hey, sorry." He paused, then said, "Maybe we can be each others' firsts, then."

"Well, I guess you aren't the worst person in the world to be friends with," Kazuichi mused. "Sure, shortcake. Let's do it." Suddenly, he beamed. "Wait, does this mean I get immunity from the mafia?"

"Sure," Fuyuhiko groaned loudly. "I'll be sure to tell all my mafia pals back home 'hey, don't hurt Kazuichi Souda, he's my bestest friend in the whole wide world! I couldn't possibly live without him!'"

"Yo, thanks bro!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "You're a real one!"

"I really can't believe you sometimes."

"Well, now that we're buds, we can go girl watching together," Kazuichi said excitedly, bouncing on his heels. "Or maybe you can help me win Miss Sonia's affections! I'm sure Hajime will be disappointed you're replacing him as my faithful wingman, but he'll live."

"Yeah, sure," Fuyuhiko said. "Lady watching." He didn't sound very enthused.

"And you'll sit with me at breakfast, right?" Kazuichi continued. "Since we're actual friends now and not just nighttime buddies?"

Fuyuhiko made a choking noise. "D-don't phrase it like that! It sounds super- well, you know! Suggestive!"

"Only if you make it weird!" the ultimate mechanic cried, wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah, whatever," Fuyuhiko's familiar scowl graced his face. "Don't make me regret this."

——

Everyone was shocked when Fuyuhiko took a seat beside Kazuichi come breakfast time.

"Wait, you two are friends?" Hajime asked, voice full of disbelief.

Fuyuhiko shot a scowl in his direction. "Yes, we are. Got a problem?"

"No problem!" Hajime said hurriedly.

"When did that happen?" Sonia asked with a small frown. Looking at her, Fuyuhiko could sort of see why Kazuichi was obsessed with her. She was pretty, he supposed, if you were into blonde princesses.

"We spend a lot of nights together," Kazuichi announced proudly.

"Huh?!" Hajime shrieked.

"Not like that!" Fuyuhiko yelped, face burning. "Goddammit, Kazuichi, you suck at phrasing."

"What else am I supposed to think that means?" Hajime's eyes were wide, and he looked fairly horrified.

"Mm," Akane said around her mouth full of food. "Whatever you do with your nights is your business, not mine."

"I wouldn't mind if Miss Sonia knew what I was doing with my nights," Kazuichi winked.

"Oh my," Sonia said, leaning slightly away.

Fuyuhiko wondered if it was possible to die from secondhand embarrassment. If he did, would there be a class trial? Would Kazuichi become the blackened?

Luckily, breakfast resumed as normal, so he didn't have to find out. Eating with the others, especially Kazuichi, was surprisingly nice. It gave him a sense of normalcy, like he really was just an ordinary high school boy hanging out with his ordinary high school friends.

And then all at once the glaring lack of Peko hit him like a blow to the stomach, and his gut twisted in a devastating wrench. "Excuse me," he said, shooting to his feet before hurrying downstairs to the lobby.

He'd barely stumbled outside before he doubled over and hurled up the contents of his breakfast.

Peko. Peko should've been there with him, making friends and laughing alongside them. But instead she was dead, the vision of her execution forever burned into his mind like a movie on loop. He'd been stupid to think he could just move on from her. No matter how hard he tried, he would never shake his final memory of her.

"Fuck," Fuyuhiko whispered with a shudder, breathing labored.

"Fuyuhiko?" a familiar voice called from behind. "You totally ditched me- oh shit, dude, are you alright?"

_Shit,_ Fuyuhiko thought as Kazuichi Souda crouched down by his side, wrinkling his nose at the sight of puke. He must look absolutely pathetic right now, huddled over a pile of his own throw up and crying over a girl he was supposed to be over. He half expected Kazuichi to laugh at him.

Instead, though, he just set a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, man, what happened?"

"Goddammit," Fuyuhiko whispered, mouth coated with bile. "I'm sorry, dammit- I'm fine. Go back up to the others, I'll be there in a moment."

"If you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine," Kazuichi said, "But if you think I'm gonna just leave you here, you're way off course."

Fuyuhiko shook his head and closed his eye. He wished Kazuichi would just leave, leave him to his puddle of pity. But some secret part of him was glad he was still here, was glad for the warm hand on his shoulder, was glad for his brash but kind words.

"You need water or anything?" Kazuichi asked, somewhat awkwardly moving his hand in a circle motion on his back.

"Nah," Fuyuhiko managed out. He felt his breathing even out under Kazuichi's light touch, and he let out a long sigh. "I'm alright. I... thank you."

"Yeah, man, that's what friends are for," Kazuichi said, withdrawing his hand. Fuyuhiko didn't realize he missed his touch until it was gone.

Then he didn't have to miss it anymore as Kazuichi pulled him into a hug.

"I know you don't like these," Kazuichi started, "But you just look like you really need one."

Fuyuhiko hesitated for only a moment, then collapsed into the embrace, and he'd never felt so weak and pathetic in his life. Kazuichi didn't seem to care that he had the heir to the Kuzuryu clan slumped in his arms like a child in need of comfort, though. He made no move to pull away.

"You don't have to speed run recovery, man," he said quietly. "And you don't have to be ashamed of needing comfort. Take all the time you need, and then some more."

"Thank you," Fuyuhiko whispered sincerely. "Thank you." His voice broke the second time, but somehow, he felt like he could finally breathe again.

"Hey, you guys, is everything- AHHH!" a voice behind them shrieked.

Fuyuhiko tore himself away from Kazuichi and fell backward onto the ground, turning his head to see the rest of their group standing outside the hotel lobby, staring at them.

"We... finished breakfast," Hajime said, eyes darting between the two.

"Nothing to see here," Kazuichi said brightly, flashing them two thumbs up.

Fuyuhiko shot to his feet, brushing invisible dust off his jacket. "See you around." With that, he hurriedly walked off. Maybe if he went fast enough, he could outpace his emotions.

——

Boys like him weren't supposed to cry. They weren't supposed to feel. They were supposed to be ruthless and cutthroat and never doubt themselves. He was set to inherit his family's clan, and he was supposed to be the perfect Yakuza. Hell, the ultimate one.

But even with Peko, Fuyuhiko hadn't been able to live up to that. He'd never wanted her to be a bodyguard. He wanted her to be his friend.

_And now she's dead._

This is what it meant to get close to someone: they became someone you could lose.

And here on Jabberwock Island, losing wasn't an if, it was a when. _When_ would their next classmate die. _When_ would the next murder be committed. _When_ would their next friend crack and become the blackened.

_When_ would Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu lose Kazuichi Souda to this killing game.

Peko's execution already haunted his every waking moment. He didn't know what Kazuichi's death would do to him. Maybe it would finally tip him over the edge he'd been barely dangling off of since he'd lost Peko. As he lay awake at night after their walks ended, sleep still evading him, he'd try to picture how Kazuichi would die.

Would he murder someone? Fuyuhiko didn't think he'd have it in him, but hell, a lot of people had surprised him so far. What kind of horrible execution would Monokuma have waiting for the ultimate mechanic? Would it be worse for him to be executed, or for him to be murdered like a useless pawn in a game of chess?

Fuyuhiko's imagination refused to cooperate after that. He couldn't even prepare for the worst because his mind simply refused to picture a world without Kazuichi Souda.

This is what it meant to have a friend (his only friend, the last friend he had left): to lose them would be absolutely unbearable.

——

"I brought food!" Kazuichi announced, his cheerful voice filtering through the hospital.

Fuyuhiko glanced up from where his small form was slumped in one of the waiting room chairs. "Kazuichi?" he asked with a frown. "What the hell are you doing here? We're under quarantine."

Monokuma's despair disease had taken ahold of three victims: Ibuki, Akane, and Nagito. That was so far, anyways. To avoid further contamination, the entire group had settled on a quarantine at the hospital. Mikan and Hajime had both volunteered to stay behind and look after the patients, and of course that dumbass Fuyuhiko had decided to stay too. If he got sick with Monokuma's stupid disease, Kazuichi was never going to let him near the end of it.

"Like I said already, I brought food, shortcake," Kazuichi sniffed, holding up the bag of fast food he'd brought from the diner. Apparently Monokuma made a mean hamburger. "You should look happier to see me."

"I'd be happy if you stuck to the quarantine that we all agreed on to keep you safe," Fuyuhiko huffed, folding his arms, but after a moment he held out his hand.

Kazuichi handed off the bag, then plopped down in the seat beside him. "How's everyone doing?"

"Terrible." Fuyuhiko rooted around in the back and withdrew the burger. Without further ado, he took a bite. Once he swallowed, he said, "This is actually pretty good."

"Right? I was surprised too. The fries are pretty solid as well." Reaching over into the bag, he stole one out and popped it into his mouth.

Fuyuhiko shot him a glare. "Hands off."

"Aw, don't complain, french fry, I can always come back with more."

"Did you just call me french fry?!"

"Yeah. You're short and blond." Kazuichi swiped another fry from the bag.

"How many goddamn nicknames are you going to come up with for me?" Fuyuhiko gave him a mean scowl.

"You can come up with one for me, if you want," Kazuichi suggested, raising his brows enticingly. "I vote 'my sexy best friend' or 'Sonia's future boyfriend'."

"I hate both of those with all my heart and soul." Fuyuhiko's scowl deepened. He normally became annoyed whenever the topic of Sonia was brought up, but Kazuichi tried not to take it to heart.

"Oh, Kazuichi!" Hajime's voice said from the doorway. Both boys turned to see him enter the hospital lobby. "Did you bring food?"

"Uh..." Kazuichi scratched the back of his neck. "I kinda forgot the rest of you existed?"

"Kazuichi!" Fuyuhiko admonished.

"I'm sorry!" the mechanic wailed. "I'll bring more!"

"Oh dear," Hajime said. "There's no rush, you two can finish your... date?"

"Hey!" Kazuichi flashed him an obscene gesture. "Fuyuhiko may be blond, but he's no Sonia! We're just two bros vibing and eating Monokuma fast food, y'know?"

Fuyuhiko's face was red. "Y-yeah, that's right."

"Yeah, don't be gross, Hajime," Kazuichi waved a fry at him.

"Oh dear," Hajime said again. "I'm super sorry." He gave a quick apologetic bow and inched backward out of the lobby.

"That Hajime guy, what a weirdo, amiright," Kazuichi sighed and popped the fry into his mouth.

"I think," Fuyuhiko said quickly, getting to his feet. "I should get back on my shift. You can go bring Hajime and Mikan some lunch now."

"You didn't even finish eating," Kazuichi frowned.

"You have the rest. Thank you for the food, Kazuichi," Fuyuhiko gave him a small smile, but it seemed almost strained. "And stay the hell away from this hospital before it's you in a sickbed, yeah?"

"Yeah, whatever man," Kazuichi called as he disappeared through the lobby doors. "Weird," he grumbled to himself, now alone in the room. "Maybe he's infected with the lameass disease."

——

"Do you really think Kazuichi and I are dating?" Fuyuhiko asked warily Hajime as they headed up the stairs to grab more supplies.

"Uh... it sure seems like it," Hajime said, awkwardly side eyeing him. "You aren't going to kill me for that, right?"

"No!" Fuyuhiko exclaimed, hating how panicked he felt. "Just... I'd like to know why you thought that."

"I mean, you two seem pretty close," Hajime pointed out. "I just don't see you interact with anyone the way you do with Kazuichi, that's all. Please don't kill me?"

"My masculinity isn't that fragile," Fuyuhiko scowled. "I don't care if you think we're dating."

"Kazuichi seems to care."

" _Kazuichi_ is a dumbass."

"It was dumb of me to think anyways," Hajime said with a sigh. "I mean, Kazuichi's enamored with Sonia."

"Don't remind me." Fuyuhiko's scowl deepened, and he hated himself even more for it. Why was it so impossible to support his friend in his romantic endeavors? Was it because he felt bad for Sonia?

Fuyuhiko suddenly noticed Hajime was eyeing him again. "Well? Spit it out, dumbass."

"Ah! I just..." Hajime tapped his fingers together almost nervously. "Are you _sure_ you're not interested in Kazuichi?"

"What?" Fuyuhiko exclaimed, whirling on him.

Hajime threw up his hands and took a step back. "Please don't kill me! I have so much to live for! I have a husband! And two children! And five cats! And- and I'm pregnant!"

"Good god, shut up, I'm not going to kill you," Fuyuhiko glared at him. "But what the hell did you just say?"

"I- I just asked if you're sure you don't like Kazuichi!"

"Of course I'm sure," Fuyuhiko folded his arms. "We're just... two bros vibing." That was what Kazuichi had said, right?

"Look, I don't wanna press... but you've totally got that pining look in your eyes," Hajime said. "Er, eye."

"I do _not_ have 'feelings' for my friend," Fuyuhiko said in the most threatening tone he could muster. "And if I did, I could never tell him, because I'm terrified of ruining the first real friendship I've ever had and I don't want him to leave me because he thinks I'm disgusting!"

Hajime stared at him, blinking once.

"Oh no," Fuyuhiko said after a long moment.

"Well-"

"Don't you dare say anything!" Fuyuhiko jabbed a finger toward him. "He- he can't know!"

"Promise! Cross my heart and hope to die!" Hajime held up his hands again.

"This fucking sucks!" Fuyuhiko yelled, wishing he could just disappear into the ground. Or turn to dust. Or both. "God! I cant catch a break!"

"It's okay, I swear!" Hajime hurriedly said. "It's not a bad thing to have feelings for a boy-"

"Yeah, no shit! But this _boy_ is my only friend in the world!" Fuyuhiko put his head in his hands. "Goddammit, I'm screwed."

"It's not the end of the world! We're trapped on a murder island!" Hajime comforted. "What's the worst thing that would happen if you tell him you like him? He kills you?"

"He stops talking to me."

"Oh. Wait, that's worse than killing you?"

"No! He can't know!" Fuyuhiko yelled. "You promised! Don't you dare tell him, or I'll break every finger you have in ways you didn't even know they could break."

"On god!" Hajime yelped. "Is this what I get for trying to help?"

"The way you can 'help' is by shutting up and pretend this never happened!" Fuyuhiko groaned and turned away. "He never finds out. That's it. End of story."

——

Soon, larger problems emerged than Fuyuhiko's definite crush on Kazuichi Souda.

Larger problems defined as the murder of not one but two classmates, and the investigation that launched from it. He and Kazuichi hunted around for clues together in solemn silence until the trial finally began, and it concluded with another guilty verdict and another execution.

Fuyuhiko was getting sick of all the death. He was already sick of it, really, but with every new murder came another bloody scene to remind him of Peko.

He found Kazuichi at the beach that night, sitting in the sand.

"Hey," he said quietly, taking a seat beside him. Whatever complicated feelings he held for his friend completely vanished under the familiarity of their moonlit nights. "No walk tonight?"

"I don't have the strength to," Kazuichi answered, voice barely a whisper.

Fuyuhiko didn't know what else to do but sit there and keep him company, just as the mechanic had done for him for so many nights. He didn't mind the silence with Kazuichi. Normally, silence terrified him, because it was full of nightmares and visions of a woman swinging a sword until her final breath. But the silence they shared on the beach together was a comforting one, an almost pleasant one.

Finally, Kazuichi spoke. "You asked me what I was doing up all those nights ago."

"Yeah?" Fuyuhiko asked, turning a bit to face him.

"This is going to sound stupid," the mechanic said. "But I'm... terrified. Of dying. And every time I close my eyes, it's like I'm just laying there waiting for someone to come in and kill me. Every single noise I hear makes me think there's someone breaking into my cottage. With every person that dies, I think, 'that could've been me.' There's nothing stopping it from being me. And I just-" his voice broke, and he hunched into himself. "I just can't take it, dammit."

"Kaz..." Fuyuhiko murmured. "Why would that be stupid?"

"Because you have a real reason keeping you up at night! You lost your best friend!" Kazuichi shuddered, and it took Fuyuhiko a moment to realize he was crying. "And I'm just a coward! That's all I've ever been, and it's all I'll ever be."

"You're not a coward," Fuyuhiko said fiercely.

"Don't lie to me. I'm pathetic, and I know I am."

Throwing caution to the wind, Fuyuhiko leaned in and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into a side hug. Kazuichi immediately buried his head into his shoulder, and Fuyuhiko tried not to think about the tears staining his suit jacket. Instead, he held him closer, feeling his body shake under his embrace.

"When I'm out here with you," Kazuichi whispered, chest heaving, "It all melts away. I feel safe again, just for a few hours a night. It's just us and the ocean and our footprints in the sand."

"You shouldn't have to feel like this," Fuyuhiko snarled, gritting his teeth. "That fucking Monokuma is screwing us all up, and I'll fucking kill him. You deserve to feel safe. You deserve to close your eyes and get a few moments of goddamn peace and quiet."

Kazuichi didn't answer.

"I'm scared of that too," Fuyuhiko blurted.

"Of dying?" Kazuichi croaked.

"Not me. Of you dying."

Kazuichi turned his head up to look at him, and the moonlight glinted in his eyes and reflected off his tears and dammit, Fuyuhiko really wanted to kiss him and tell him it would all be okay.

"You could stay," Fuyuhiko said instead. "Stay in my cottage. Or I could stay in yours. Whatever makes you feel safer." He hoped his face wasn't red. That would be shitty timing.

"Really?" Kazuichi said quietly. "You'd do that for me?"

"It'd make me feel better too," Fuyuhiko stammered out. "Being with you- with someone."

"You know," Kazuichi said after a moment of silence. "If this is all a really elaborate plot to kill me, I think I'd find it kinda funny instead of absolutely terrifying."

Fuyuhiko let out a dry laugh. "If I feel like killing you, I'll let you know."

"Thanks," Kazuichi gave him a weak grin. "I'm feeling better already."

If this was a romance novel, or if he was a braver man, Fuyuhiko would've said "I love you". He opted for saying "let's get to bed, then," instead.

"When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Fuyuhiko dared to ask as they headed back for the cottages.

"Uh... can't remember," Kazuichi replied. "Hey, I could ask you the same!"

"Hmph," Fuyuhiko scowled. "Don't turn this on me."

"Your cottage or mine?" Kazuichi changed the subject as they neared the hotel.

"Uh..."

"Yours," Kazuichi said. "Good choice."

Fuyuhiko almost made a jibe at him, but when he saw the fear stirring behind Kazuichi's eyes, he didn't. "My cottage it is," he said instead.

He unlocked the door to it and pushed it open, stepping inside. Kazuichi kicked off his shoes as Fuyuhiko shut the door behind them, then started to take off his coveralls.

"Hey!" Fuyuhiko stammered.

"Relax, I have a shirt and briefs under this," Kazuichi rolled his eyes. "Besides, we're both dudes."

"Y-yeah, right." Fuyuhiko cleared his throat and tried to look dignified.

He got to work undressing himself, changing into a plain shirt he'd gotten from the supermarket. "If you need to use the bathroom or anything, feel free to," he said awkwardly. Now that their moment at the beach had ended, the reality that he was sharing a room with the boy he liked was beginning to settle in.

"Thanks, man," Kazuichi said, and exhaustion creeped through the cracks in his voice. "I really appreciate this."

"No problem," Fuyuhiko said earnestly. "Uh, you can have the bed."

"Dude, seriously, we're both guys. It's cool, we can share," Kazuichi sighed and climbed onto the bed, pulling the covers up over him. He fell back against one of the pillows and patted the spot beside him.

Really hoping his face wasn't red, Fuyuhiko climbed in beside him. He turned onto his side facing away from him, staring out at the rest of the room. His eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness, and he tried to focus on making out the furniture in the room rather than the boy beside him.

"This is kinda nice," Kazuichi said after a few silent moments.

"It would be nicer if you'd go to sleep," Fuyuhiko tried to sound annoyed, but his heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice so close to him.

"Sorry, shortcake," Kazuichi replied. Fuyuhiko felt him shift a bit, then finally settle down.

A few more beats of silence.

"Dude, your heart is beating super fast right now," Kazuichi said.

"Gah!" Fuyuhiko curled into himself, grateful for the darkness to hide his face. "It's just- adrenaline, alright?"

"Relax," Kazuichi chuckled, and then Fuyuhiko felt an arm slide around him. His breathing hitched, and he fell absolutely still, terrified of making any sudden movements. "Is- is this okay? I thought you might feel a bit calmer like this."

"It's- it's fine," Fuyuhiko managed out. "And you don't have to make excuses, y'know. If you want me to hold you, ya just have to ask."

"Hey! I'm trying to do something nice for you," Kazuichi sniffed. He didn't pull away.

Even though he figured he should probably feel even more nervous, Fuyuhiko found himself relaxing under Kazuichi's touch. There was something about him that put him at ease, and knowing he was right there beside him, safe for the night, made a small smile cross his face.

Kazuichi fell asleep first, his breathing gradually evening out. Fuyuhiko let himself slip away soon after.

——

Waking up out of normalcy rather than from a nightmare or a sense of terror shooting through his core was strange in the best kind of way.

Kazuichi could hear Fuyuhiko's light snores from beside him, slowly lulling him awake. Mixed in with that was the sound of Monokuma's morning announcement, but he did his best to block that out. He normally always woke before the announcement, so hearing it now was odd.

His arm was still wrapped around the other boy, though Fuyuhiko had shuffled closer to him at some point in his sleep. Kazuichi was smiling before he could register the emotion of happiness. Stranger still. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt happy on this island.

Fuyuhiko mumbled something incoherent, then opened his eyes. "Stupid bear," he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Kazuichi groaned. "We don't gotta get up already, do we?"

"Good morning to you too," Fuyuhiko replied. "Sleep alright?"

"Better than ever." Kazuichi yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Bet I have a shitty bedhead, though."

"It's cute," Fuyuhiko said. With that, he got out of bed. "I get bathroom first."

"Whatever," Kazuichi groaned, eyes already closing again.

After getting ready and dressed, the two made their way to breakfast.

——

When Fuyuhiko had woken up that morning, he certainly hadn't expected to get trapped in a funhouse.

In an unspoken agreement, Kazuichi found his room that night and crawled into bed beside him, stiff and silent. The frail peace that had formed over them had shattered with Monokuma's next motive, and Fuyuhiko had never hated that stupid bear more.

"One of us is going to die," Kazuichi whispered. "Two of us, I guess, since the blackened gets killed too. Or we're all going to die of starvation."

"You're not going to die," Fuyuhiko promised. "None of us are. I swear to god we're going to make it out alive."

The two of them did. Two of their classmates did not.

Maybe the funhouse incident changed his mind about everything. Maybe it was because life was so obviously fleeting and death was loitering at their door that Fuyuhiko decided he just needed to tell him how he felt, consequences be damned. Tell him before one of them ended up a corpse prompting yet another investigation for yet another class trial.

Tell him before there was only one set of footprints left in the sand.

——

"Glad we're still sticking with our night walks," Kazuichi said, stretching his arms out toward the sky. "Makes me tired enough to crash real hard."

"Yeah," Fuyuhiko agreed. He sounded almost absent, but Kazuichi didn't blame him. The whole funhouse thing had been pretty traumatizing, and if it hadn't been for Fuyuhiko's steady presence, Kazuichi probably would've lost it to terror and despair.

"What's up, shortcake?" he prompted.

Fuyuhiko glanced up at him, eye reflecting moonlight. "Kaz..." he started. "What do you... think of me?"

"You're the best friend I've ever had," Kazuichi replied immediately. There was no need to hesitate. Fuyuhiko was the best _everything_ he'd ever had.

"I..." Fuyuhiko abruptly came to a stop, toes curling into the sand, so Kazuichi stopped too, frowning. "Goddammit, I don't know how to say this."

"Fuyuhiko? What's the matter?" Kazuichi wondered for a moment if he was going to kill him, but that thought was instantly banished by common sense.

"I loved Peko," Fuyuhiko blurted, and Kazuichi blinked. "But I know the way I loved her, and I loved her like she was my sister. I don't think I could... love her any other way. And when she died, I lost everything- except I didn't. Because- dammit, I... because she wasn't everything. She was most things, but she wasn't everything."

Kazuichi had no idea where this conversation was going, but he nodded encouragingly.

"So I- I just- in case we die here, I wanted you to know," Fuyuhiko's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You're the rest of everything. Because dammit, Kazuichi Souda, I think I'm in love with you!"

"Oh," Kazuichi said.

_Oh._

And the world came crashing down around him.

"I... wow," he said, and every word felt like he was stepping on pieces of broken glass. "I'm- flattered. It's just, well... I'm a hetero."

"Oh," said Fuyuhiko.

"I... man, I... Goddammit!" Kazuichi held his head between his hands, clutching at his hair. His nails dug against his scalp, sending a flash of pain through him, but he didn't care. "I like girls! I like... I like girls. I like Miss Sonia. I- I like-"

"It's fine," Fuyuhiko said quickly. "You don't need to explain yourself."

But he _did_. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to breathe. He was suffocating, and the world was ending and it was the worst feeling he'd ever felt in his life and he couldn't explain why. "I- I'm sorry," he gasped out, turning away. His heart felt like it was about to explode from his chest, and he knew he was losing it but he didn't know what _it_ was.

"It's not a problem," Fuyuhiko's voice was short and curt. "I hope this doesn't change anything about us."

Kazuichi wanted to laugh. Change things? The world was _ending_ , couldn't he feel it? Couldn't he feel the broken glass digging into his feet? Something was wrong, and he still didn't know what. Was it them? Was it him? Was this what dying felt like, like the air was being ripped from his lungs and a spear was stabbed through his chest?

"I- I just need a minute," Kazuichi whispered.

"I understand. I'll be at my cottage. Just knock if you want to come in." With that, not even looking back, Fuyuhiko hurried back across the beach.

Kazuichi slumped down into the sand, staring at the waves lapping at the shoreline. His heart wouldn't stop pounding, and his ears were ringing, and there was a buzz in his head he couldn't keep out.

"I like girls," he chanted fiercely. "I like girls I like girls I like girls I like girls-"

The ocean crashed and pulled away. Kazuichi was left shaking and sobbing into the empty night, his mantra fading quickly.

There was no way he could face Fuyuhiko again, not after he'd lashed out at his friend for no good reason other than his own stupid, stupid thoughts, so Kazuichi returned to his own cottage for the first time in a bit. He unlocked the door and stared inside at the dark room waiting for him, shadows whispering enticingly.

Fuyuhiko's smile. _Wrong._

Fuyuhiko's scowl. _Wrong_.

Fuyuhiko's arm around him. _Wrong_.

Fuyuhiko shirtless. _Wrong_.

Fuyuhiko laying beside him in bed. _Wrong_.

_"You're the rest of everything."_ Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong-

Kazuichi slumped into his own terribly empty bed, shaking uncontrollably, and he waited to die.

——

He didn't die, unfortunately. Apparently heartbreak couldn't kill him. Good to know.

Kazuichi didn't get out of bed. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd die here instead. He curled in on himself and tried to ignore the pounding in his head.

A knock at the door drew him out of his trance. "Kazuichi?" a voice asked. Hajime.

Dragging himself out of bed, Kazuichi stumbled over and opened the door to reveal the boy standing there. Hajime took one look at him and asked, "Are you okay?"

"No," Kazuichi said hollowly.

Hajime stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Kazuichi fell back onto the bed, putting his head in his hands.

"Is it wrong?" he whispered. "To like boys?"

"You're looking at a whole bisexual," Hajime said.

Kazuichi glanced up at that. "I- what happens if I like boys? But I also like girls?"

"Then you might be bisexual too."

_Bisexual_. The word felt right in his mind, but it left a sour taste in his mouth. "No," he whispered furiously. "I- I can't- I like girls! I can't like boys!"

"Why not?" Hajime asked curiously.

"I- I can't!" Kazuichi buried his head back in his hands. "If I do, it means- it means I'm-"

"Weird?" Hajime said. "Different? Wrong?"

"It's... it's fine when it's someone else, you know?" Kazuichi absently waved a hand. "When it's your friend or your uncle or the two guys you see crossing the street. But when it's _you_ -"

"It's real," Hajime finished. "I know."

"It's terrifying."

"I know."

"I don't want it to be me," Kazuichi drew his arms around himself. "But- but I do. I know it's me. I _want_ to want it to be me."

"What's stopping you?" Hajime questioned.

"Everything. Nothing. The world. Myself." A dry laugh escaped Kazuichi's throat. "Fuyuhiko told me he likes me."

"He did?" Hajime exclaimed in shock.

"And I told him I like girls." He rubbed his eyes, feeling hot tears prick up again. "And I freaked out- not at him, well kinda because he happened to be there but I didn't _mean_ for it to be at him, I was just- terrified. I'm such a goddamn coward. I've always been."

"Do you like him?" Hajime asked.

"Yeah," Kazuichi breathed, voice breaking. "Yeah, I do. I really do."

"Then go tell him. Go fix things. It's not too late." Hajime stared him down, folding his arms. "Don't wait until it's too late. Don't lose him."

_Lose him._ Kazuichi really, really didn't want to lose him.

So he stood on two shaking legs, clenched his fists, and marched out the door. He didn't feel very brave, in fact he'd never been more scared in his life, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the truth: he liked boys, too, and that wasn't so bad. That wasn't the end of the world.

His feet carried him to where Fuyuhiko would be before he could register it: the beach on the first island.

Sure enough, the ultimate Yakuza was standing by the ocean, ankle deep, staring out across the expanse of water. Kazuichi's legs almost gave out at the sight of him, but he forced himself onward, coming to a stop beside him.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Kazuichi," Fuyuhiko replied, glancing at him. "Are you alright? You didn't come to breakfast-"

"No, shut up," Kazuichi interrupted, holding up his hands. "Just- shut up and let me talk, goddammit."

Fuyuhiko's jaw clenched shut.

"I'm stupid," Kazuichi said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up at you, I honest to god didn't. I never felt angry or disgusted at you. I was disgusted at myself." He dragged a hand through his hair. "My entire life, I've always been afraid of something. I'm such a coward, and I hate myself for freaking out at a time when you needed me. So I'm sorry, I swear to god, I'm so sorry."

Fuyuhiko's gaze softened a bit. "Oh."

"And... I'm sorry for something else, too. I lied to you." Kazuichi drew in a deep breath. "I told you I like girls. That's not a lie. I do, girls are great. But I told you I'm a hetero, and... that's not true at all. I'm not a damn hetero! I like boys too! And that's so terrifying to me, and it made me flip out, and I wish I didn't feel so sick about this part of myself."

Fuyuhiko stiffened, eye going wide. "Kazuichi-"

"No, stop, I have one more thing to say." Kazuichi planted his feet firmly in the sand. "I mean, there's only one thing that two dudes do at a beach, right?"

"Uh..."

"Go on a date," Kazuichi said. "I like you, shortcake. And if I'm going to die on this damn island, I'm going to die knowing I told you that. I don't care if you accept me or not, I'm just glad you know."

Fuyuhiko was silent for a moment, then he seized Kazuichi by his coverall collar and yanked him down for a kiss.

The ocean crashed and swirled around their feet, and Fuyuhiko's lips tasted like sea salt. He was standing on his tip toes to reach him, and it made Kazuichi want to laugh. Everything about him made him want to laugh, made him want to smile, made him want to live.

When Fuyuhiko finally pulled away, he was smiling. "I've wanted to do that for a while," he breathed, cheeks flushed.

"You can do it all you want," Kazuichi returned with a flirty grin, though his heart was doing somersaults in his chest. If the world had ended yesterday, a new one had just begun, underneath the rising sun and filled with the ocean scent and sand trapped between their toes.

"I love you, Kazuichi Souda," Fuyuhiko said, taking his hands and holding them against his heart.

"I love you too, shortcake."

Fuyuhiko stomped on his foot.

"Ow! Okay, _Fuyuhiko_ , I love you!" Kazuichi cried. "Owww your feet are crazy strong!"

"That's such a weird thing to say!" Fuyuhiko protested, stomping on his foot again.

"OW! Stop before I take all my love confessions back!" Kazuichi shrieked.

Fuyuhiko grinned with reckless abandon and pulled him down for another kiss.


End file.
